Impulse transmitter



Patented July 1, 1941 Switzerland, assignors to Landis & Gyr, A.G., a corporation of Switzerland Application December 21, 1937, Serial No. 180,952r

In Switzerland December 24, 1936 1 Claim.

The invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for selective remote control of operations of various kinds by means of interruptions of an alternating current. network or supply circuit which feeds a receiver, such lnterruptions being eected by a transmitter. According to our novel method the selection of a deiinitev operation is determined by the interval of time between -two interruptionsof the alternating current network or supply circuit (hereinafter referred to as the network). Our remote control method is useful for remote actuation or control of various kinds of operations, systems or devices, for example actuation or control of multiple tarii meters, of hot water storage plants, of street lighting networks, and the like. v The remote control apparatus designed for carrying the method into practice is preferably embodied so that on switching-in the network or supply, the selecting means provided at the transmitter and at the receivers are set in synchronous rotation, and that after a subsequent momentary interruption of the network the receiving selectors, corresponding to the time interval selected for a given operation or cycle between two interruptions, perform their operation and subsequently all the selectors come to rest upon reaching their initial position.

For the purpose of automatic remote control of the operations, a time element belonging to the transmitter can effect both the interruptions of the network and can also determine the duration of thesek interruptions, In such an arrangement the selector of the transmitter, running synchronously withr the selectors of the receivers,

ystarts the time element in operation and determines the length of time between two interruptions. Preferably there can be employed for the timeelement a contact'selector with two groups of contacts, which are alternately connected to the corresponding contact arm of .the selector. In this arrangement the contact arm is connected through the energizing winding of the time element to a network conductor A and through an operating contact of a relay, arranged in series with the contact arm of the contact selector, to a network conductor B; and one group of contacts is connected through the winding of a relay eecting the interruptions of the network to the network conductor A and the other group of contacts is connected through the energising winding of the selector of the transmitter to .the

contact Vof the selector of the transmitter and the interrupter contact of the network to the network conductor B.

Furthermore for each operation to be remotely controlled a relay can be provided, which relay is energized by a circuit through depressing a push button switch provided therefor and through an interrupter contact of the network common to all the relays, and this connects the initial contact and the selector contact of the selector of the transmitter connected to the relay winding to the network conductor B through a. stationary contact of a cut off relay. The :out oi relay can be controlled by a contact closed by the selector of the transmitter shortly before its return to its initial position.

The method of our invention and a system and apparatus for practicing it, are. diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein the ligure is a diagram showing the connections of a remotefcontrol system with automatic means for eiTecting the operations.

-In general the transmitter comprises a driving mechanism, which is actuated from the network A, B connected to an A. C. source of electrical power and when set in operation makes a quite definite motion and runs at a constant speed. This mechanism further comprises a selector connected to and driven by this driving mechanism, and receivers E1, E2 and E3 (of the type. disclosed in the copending Koenig application, Serial Number 180,953 for Selective remote control, iiled concurrently herewith, now Patent No. 2,203,358 of June 4, 1940) which are likewise actuated in an extension network A, B1 by the transmitter connected ,with the network A, B.

The method of operation of the system of remote control is based on the fact that after an interruption of the network circuit the selectors are caused to run synchronously and at any desired time there is effected a momentary second interruption of the network circuit, after which receiving selectors set to this time effect their operation.

A remote control installation. embodying the invention is exemplarily shown in detail in the diagram which illustrates a transmitter, capacitated for the automatic remote control of a variety of denite operations. In said exemplary embodiment, the transmitter connected to the network conductors A, B comprises a contact selector K1, a synchronous motor Si connectedv to drive said contact selector; `a time element 'K2 formed as a contact selector having a rotatable arm c adapted to pass over and engage successively with seriesrof contacts e1 and ez offthe selector; and a synchronous motor S2 connected to drive said time element. Associated with motor S1 is an OIT-normal switch having its contacts f1 and f2 cyclically actuated thereby as fully disclosed in the Koenig application Serial Number 210,197, led May 26, 1938, for Selective remote control apparatus, which issued at Patent No, 2,229,097, January 21, 1941, and diagrammatically indicated herein by a broken line actuator extending from motor S1 diagonally upward to these contacts. There are also included contact relaysl V, W, X, Y, comprising correspondingly marked electro-magnets, connected to operate, respectively, the switches V1, W1, X1 and Y1 in the cross circuits connected as shown and operating as hereinafter described. (The magnets and their contacts are separated in the drawing but their inter-connections are indicated by broken lines.) A number of controlled Contact relays Z1, Z2, Z3, corresponding in number to the definite operations to be performed or controlled by this exemplary layout are provided, and there are in circuit with said relays, respectively, push button switches D1, D2, D3 corresponding to and adapted to open and close the circuits for the respective contact relays, Each of the contact relays Z1, Z2, Z3 is provided with a working or actuating contact and with a holding contact, and these are correspondingly marked in sets a1, a2, as, a4, etc. The relays Z and their push button switches are in parallel, and the circuit controlling, solenoid-operated switches Y1 and X1 are in series with them all, The receivers, E1, E2 and E3 are shown connected in the network A, B1, and represent the devices or mechanisms controlled by the precedingly described control means, these being taken exemplarily as three in number. The circuit connections will be clear from the diagram and their use and operation will be set forth in connection with the following description of ythe operation of the mechanism. It will be noted that the transmitters are connected to the network conductors A and B which are connected directly to the source of current, and that the receivers are connected to the network A and B1.

Operation of the foregoing is effected by selective operator actuation of one of the plurality oi hand-operated contacts D1, etc., thereby energizing the corresponding receiver E1, etc. For example, if it is desired to energize receiver E3 to control a given mechanism or function, the push button switch D3 is closed and thereby a circuit A, a, D3, X1, Y1, B is closed, contact relay Z3 is energized whereby working contact a1 and holding contact a2 of said contact relay Z3 are brought to closed circuit positions. On releasing press button switch D3, contact relay Z3 remains energized through a2, w1. When operating contact a1 as described closed, a circuit A, vV, b, a1, W1, B, is thereby closed, so that contact relay V is energized, its operating switch V1 is closed and the energizing circuit of the synchronous motor S2 is closed through V1 and time-element contact selector K2 is started. Also a circuit for interrupting relay Y is closed through V1, c, e1, and said relay Y thereby opens its switch Y1, whereby the rst interruption of the network circuit A, B1 is effected. The duration of this interruption is determined by the speed of the contact arm c of selector K2, which is being advanced by the synchronous motor S2 and also by the breadth of the contacts oi the contact group e1 of said selector K2, Y

I As soon as contact arm c of contact group e1 comes on to contact group e2, the interrupting rlay Y is de-energized and thereby network circuit A, B1 is again closed, terminating said first interruption of this circuit. By the resting of contact arm c on contact group e2, two circuits are closed, of which one is formed through A, X, e2, c, V1, Band the other through A, S1, e2, c, V1, B. Relay X is thereby energized and its switch X1 moved to open circuit position. By reason of the conditions thus established, the desired duration of the selected operation is safeguarded as the Iactuation of a further press button switch during the operation of the transmitter would be without effect. By the closure of the last-mentioned circuit synchronous motor S1 isset in operation. Shortly after the response of the synchronous motor, the off-normal contact ,f1 is closed. A circuit is thereby closed by way of conductor g being, the network conductor B through the switch Y1, conductor y1 and through contact f1, to the synchronous motor S1 and to the contact group e2. Contact arm c continues to be driven by synchronous motor Sz, and on its engagement with the next contact of the group of contacts e1, there is a further advance movement of the synchronous motor S1 due to the said circuit through conductor g.

Contact arm b of contact selector K1, driven by synchronous motor S1, after leaving the initial contact o effects an interruption of circuit A, V, b, a1, W1, B, and the de-,energized relay V then interrupts its operating contact V1. Synchronous motor S2 remains energized through circuit A, S2, c, e2, f1, g, y1, B, until contact arm c of contact selector K2 engages with the next contact of contact .group e1, when by the interruption of said circuit synchronous motor S2 comes to rest. Contact arm c connected to the contact group e1 then comes to rest. No energization of relay Y will occur as its circuit is held open by the switch V1. Only when contact arm b of contact selector K1, driven by synchronous motor S1, comes on to contact 3, will circuit A, V, b, a1, W1, B for relay V be again closed, and the circuit thereby be closed at switch V1. This causes synchronous motor S2 to again advance and also causes relay Y to be energized, and network circuit A, B1 is then opened for the second time.

The interruption of the network circuit A, B1 is terminated as soon as arm c of contact selector K2 comes on to a contact of contact group e2. Arm b of contact selector K1 will then also leave contact 3, so that relay V is again de-energized and its switch V1 is again opened. Synchronous motor S2 continues to advance, as it is now fed through a circuit A, S2, c, e2, f1, g, Y1, B. It will however come to rest as soon as arrn c of contact selector K2 touches contact group e1,

ShortlyA before rthe initial position of arm b of contact selector K1 is reached contact ,f2 is connected to contact f1, whereby the cut- 01T relay4 W is energized and switch W1 of cut-oit relay W will then interrupt circuit A, a, a2, W1, B. Thus the winding a of relay Z3 will be without current,

Yand operating switch contact a1 and holding ited to the specic mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claim without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacricing its chief advantages.

What we claim is:

A transmitting arrangement for causing successive momentary interruptions in an alternating current power transmission line and for controlling the time interval between such interruptions, comprising a first synchronous motor energized from said line, la wiper arm driven thereby and a plurality of spaced contacts successively engageable by the wiper arm, a second synchronous motor energized from said line, a wiper arm driven thereby and "a plurality of spaced contacts successively engageable by the second wiper arm, means whereby alternate contacts of the rst plurality of contacts control the momentary interruption of the transmission line and the remainder control the energization of the second synchronous motor, a plurality of manually operated switches, each individual to a contact of the second plurality of contacts, means whereby the second mentioned wiper normally engages one of the second plurality of contacts, means controlled by the operation of any one of the manual switches for energizing the rst motor provided the second wiper engages the normal contact, whereby said rst motor moves the rst wiper over its contacts to thereby rst interrupt momentarily the transmission line and thereafter toclose a start circuit for the second motor and the second motor then interrupts the circuit of the first motor at its normal position contact, means whereby a circuit for the second motor independent of the starting circuit is closed as long as the wiper arm is off its normal position, means controlled by'each manual switch for rendering a corresponding contact of the second plurality of contacts effective to close `a second circuit for the rst motor and thereby cause another momentary interruption in the transmission circuit, the time interval between these interruptions depending upon the particular contact rendered effective by one of the manual switches.

JULIUS ZUGER. WERNER KOENIG 

